As we walked down the bustling city streets of downtown Niagara Falls, we noticed the bright pink sign that read Niku: Japanese Steakhouse. Nestled between shops selling souvenirs and vendors trying street food from stalls or wagons, it looks so new and bright compared to the worn and weary buildings beside it. 

“Well this looks interesting” my mother said, “Do you want to try this for dinner?” she asked, seeing if our group of family and friends was interested. Our stomachs growled at the thought of food so we decided to check it out. Upon walking in we were greeted with the smell of fresh meat, poultry. The steam and fire coming from the tables in the restaurant prompted one thought in my head. This looks really good, I thought to myself. 

“Right this way please.” the waiter told us and we followed without hesitation. As we walked to our seats it was almost impossible to miss all the modern Japanese artwork, which consisted of paintings, statues, and other exotic structures. As we sat down we noticed a large circular grill in the center of our table. Our group gave each other confused and concerned looks as we started to realize this wouldn't be like any restaurant we had been to before. 

As we began to browse through the menu, a server came up to our table with a cart full of food. “Have you guys ever been to a place like this before?” he asked politely. We had all responded no and a look of excitement flashed across his face. “So here at the steakhouse we serve all raw food and you can cook it to your liking on the grill.” He said, making sure we all understood. As he turned on the grill another man came over and started to place loads of finely chopped meats, vegetables, and other foods on the table. 

It was not all but 5 minutes before our first pieces of food came off the blazing hot grill. Our group had decided to start with some more familiar cuts of meat such as beef, chicken, and pork. As we took our first bites, the food was so tender it would melt apart before you could even finish chewing. The attentive waiters kept bringing us more and more and as the meal progressed, we began to branch out with our food choices. Squid, crab, and oceanic fish were now beginning to become more common on our plates. 

When we ate so much food that we would explode if we ate anymore, The waiters brought out the bill and offered dessert in the form of a Japanese popsicle or Crème brûlée. After we scarfed down the deserts, we gathered our belongings and began to head towards the glass double doors that provided an exit. Our group began the long trek back to the hotel room and as we looked at the beautiful lights and scenery of the city at night, this meal was cemented in my brain as one of the best I had ever had.